Guiding mechanism



Sept. 11, 1934.

C. M. YODER 1,973,458

GUIDING MECHANISM Filed July so. 1951 I Sheds-Sheet 1 4 INVENTOR- Ff 5 BYMMW ATTORNEY Sept. 11, 1934.

c. M. YODER GUIDING MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elf- .flvm I I ATTORNEY -IINVENTOR W m. BY 42,

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 1,978,458 GUIDING MECHANISM cm M. m", Lakewood, Ohio Application'July 30, 1931, Serial No. 554,002

9 Claims. (01. ao-s1) This invention relates to means for guiding sheet steel and sheet metal strips and plates to an operating mechanism, for example, mechanisms for forming the strips or plates into pipes or other shapes, mechanisms for cutting and trimming the strips or plates, mechanisms for conditioning the side edges of the strips or plates; examples of such mechanisms being illustrated in my co-pending applications Ser.

Nos. 486,499, filed October 4,1930, 525,067 (see Letters Patent No. 1,968,865, dated August, 7, 1934) and 549,524 (see Reissue Letters Patent No. 18,760, dated March 7, 1933).

The embodiment of the invention hereinshown is'adapted to guide strips of sheet metal, but such mechanism may be adapted to any width of strips, sheets or plates.

One object of the invention 'is to provide an improved mechanism for maintaining and guiding a plate or strip in midposition or a 'predetermined relation to the elements of an operating mechanism while being fed thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism capable of guiding a metal sheet or plate to an operating mechanism while compensating for irregularities therein occurring along either'or both side edges of the sheet or plate, whereby the latter will be fed in aligned relation to the elements of such operating mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sheet guiding mechanism whichautomatically compensates for irrgularities in the width of the sheet as the latter is fed to the elements of an operating mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having a pair of movable devices connected for simultaneous movement toward or from each other and means normally tending to move either device toward the other, whereby they co-act to maintaining a sheet or plate in a mid position between them.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of a mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figs, 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing the position of the parts while guiding a strip of material. I

In the drawings, 1 indicates a support on which are mounted spaced standards 2. The standards 2 are provided with feet 3 shaped to slidably engage the support 1, whereby the standards may be adjusted to the desired spaced relation and positioned in operative relation to those elements of an operating mechanism, 05 which are to engage the sheet, such as dis-- closed in the aforesaid applications. Each foot 3 is slotted to receive a bolt 4 which is suitably mounted in the support, the bolt serving to clamp the foot 3 thereto. The standards 2 are formed 7o with recessed portions 5, which receive journal boxes 6.- The side walls of the boxes 6 are preferably formed with grooves to receive the side walls of the recessed portions, whereby the boxes are suitably held in position. The boxes serve to rotatably support a pair of upper and lower rolls 7, 8, between which the metal sheet, shown at A, is passed. In the preferred arrangement, the boxes 6 for the lower roll 8 rest on the bottoms of the recesses 5 and the boxes 6 for the upper roll 7 are held down by springs 9 coiled around the lower ends of rods 10. The rods 10 are threaded into and through openings formed in bridge members 11, the rods being locked in adjusted position by jam nuts 12. 35 The springs engage the boxes 6 at one end and collars 13 on the rods 10 at their opposite end.

The bridgemembers 11 are secured to the standards 2 by nuts 14 engaging threaded rods extending upwardly therefrom. The rolls '7, 8, may be driven by a suitable mechanism, for which purpose they are extended at corresponding ends, as shown at 7a, 8a, respectively, and

provided with elements for connecting them with driven shafts (not shown), examples of such driving connections being shown in the aforesaid applications.

15 indicates as an entirety a guiding mechanism associated with the rolls 7, 8, and arranged in front thereof.

. In the illustrated construction, the standards 2 constitute a part of the frame work for the operating mechanism, the rolls 7, 8, serve as the preliminary feeding rolls therefor and the guiding mechanism 15 is mounted on the standards 2, as hereinafter set forth; when desired the rolls 7, 8, and guiding mechanism may be mounted on a support separate from the frame of the operating mechanism.

O the guiding mechanism 15, 16 indicates a base member having lateral wings 17 which are rigidly secured to the front end walls of the standards 2 by bolts 18. The base member extends from a point in front of the standards 2 to a point adjacent the rolls '7, 8. Intermediate its ends, the base member is transversely re-v cessed, as shown at 19, to receive a plate 20, which is secured to the base member 16 by bolts 21. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the openings 22- in the plate 20 for the bolts 21 are elongated to permit of adjustment of the plate laterally or transversely of the base member 16 for a purpose later set forth. 23, 23, indicate a pair of elements mounted to oscillate onstud-shafts 24, which aresuitably supported in the plate 20. By preference each shaft-is threaded into an opening formed in the plate 20. Each element is removably held in position on its shaft by a counter-sunk head or disk 24a, provided on the upper end of the adjacent shaft. Each element 23 is provided with a series of gear teeth 24'; the teeth on one element being in mesh with the teeth on the other element, whereby either one will drive the other when rotated or oscillated about its shaft.. Each oscillatable element 23 is also provided on its upper face at one side of its axis with a stud-shaft 25 on which is loosely mounted a roller 26, adapted to engage .one side edge of the sheet A and co-operating with the roller 26 on the other oscillatable element 23 as hereinafter described. The rollers 26 are grooved as shown at 27, the grooves serving to receive the sheet A and guide it in spaced relation to the elements 23 and other parts later referred to, to eliminate friction and interference.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the rollers 26 are mounted eccentrically to the axes of the elements 23, and in such relation to the gear sectors 24' that when the latter are in mesh and in opposed symmetrical relation, the rollers 26 are spaced equal distances from an imaginary. line extending perpendicularly to the plane of the axes of the elements 23 (being preferably mounted adjacent the inner ends of the gear sectors 24') and by means of a spring mechanism 28 connected to one or both the elements and effective to resist lateral movement of the rollers 26 and means to limit the action of such'mechanism, the rollers are normally maintained in a predetermined spaced relation, which is somewhat less than the normal or predetermined width of the sheet or plate to be fed between the rollers to the rolls '1, 8. As the elements 23 are geared'together, the rolers 26 move simultaneously toward or from the imaginary line above referred to. The spring mechanism 28 is preferably connected to both elements 23. For this purpose, each element 23 has secured to it an arm 29 which extends outwardly and laterally and carries at its outer end a depending member 30 preferably extending below the base member 16. The members 30 are formed with aligned openings through which extend the opposite end portions of a rod 31.

, These end portions are threaded to take nuts 32 with which the members 30 engage to limit the outward swinging movement of the arms 29. 33 indicates a coiled spring surrounding the rod 31 and engaging the members 30 at its ends and normally acting on the members 30 to swing the arms 29 outwardly or away from each other, such movement being limited by the engagement of the members 30 with the, nuts 32. The webs 16a for the base member 16 are formed with openings to accommodate and permit of movement of the rod 31 and spring 33 and the openings in the members 30 are enlarged to permit the rod to swivel and slide therein during movement of the arms 29. r i

In the arrangement above described, the sprin 33 normally tends to maintain the arms 29 at the limit of their outward movement, in which position the grooves of the rollers 26 are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the sheet to be fed between them; accordingly, when the sheet A is passed-between the rollers they are moved laterally. outwardly against the tension of the spring and each is actuated thereby toward the other roller, so that both rollers yieldingly engage the side edges of the sheet or plate. As the spring tension is the same on both rollers and act on the sheet or plate with the same degree of pressure, the latter will be guided along a central line mid-way between its side edges. As the elements 23 are geared together, the rollers 26 co-act to maintain the sheet or plate in mid position between them. In the event any irregularity occurs in either side edge, if such irregularity is due to a widening of the sheet, the roller engaging such widened portion will be moved outwardly and thus relieve the tension of the other roller on the adjacent side edge, so that the first roller will move the sheet or plate transversely until its pressure thereon is counteracted by the pressure of the other roller against the sheet; if such irregularly con sists in the reduction in width of the sheet or plate, the pressure of the roller engaging such reduced portion will be relieved and permit the other roller to move the sheet or plate transversely until the pressure of both rollers against the sheet or plate is equalized or counteracted, one by the other.

The sheets or plates may be fed by hand to or between the movable guide rollers 26. Where the rolls, '7, 8, are driven, the sheet or plate is guided between the rollers 26 until engaged by the rolls 7, 8, which will then feed the sheet or plate forwardly.

-By mounting the elements 23 on a transversely' adjustable plate, as above described, these elements and the rollers carried thereby may be adjusted bodily to change the alignment thereof with respect to the elements of the operating mechanism.

Where the elements23 are spaced apart to accommodate sheets or plates that are relatively wide, I prefer to provide-between them operating connections, for example, intermediate gears, to effect their simultaneous movement.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a base member adapted to be associated with an operating mechanism, a pair of elements rotatably mounted on said member, a roller mounted eccentrically on the upper face of each said element and arranged to co-operate with the other roller to support and guide a sheet or plate between them in a plane above said elements, means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement about their axes, and means normally tending to retate one of said elements in one direction.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination oi. a base member adapted to be associated with an operating mechanism, a pair of elements rotatably mounted on said member, a roller mounted eccentrioally on the upper face of each said elementand arranged to co-operate with the other. roller to guide a-sheet or plate between them, means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement about their axes, and means normally tending to rotate one of said elements in one direction, said rollers being provided with grooves to receive the side edges of the sheet or plate to support the latter during guiding thereof in a plane above said elements.

3. In apparatus of the class, described, the combination of a base member adapted to beassociated with an operating mechanism, a support mounted on said member for adjustment transversely thereof, a pair of elements rotatably mounted on said support and provided with meshing gear segments for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement about their axes, means normally tending to rotate one of said elements in one direction, and a roller mounted eccentrioally on the upper face of each element and arranged to co-operate with the other roller to support and guide a sheet or plate fed between them in a plane abovesaid elements.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the g5 combination of a base member adapted to be associated with an operating mechanism, a pair of elements rotatably mounted on said member. a roller mounted eccentrically on the upper face of each said element and arranged to co-operate 40 with the other roller to support and guide a sheet or plate between them in a plane above said elements, means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement about their axes, an arm fixed to one of said elements, spring means'normally acting on said am to swing it in one direction, and a stop for said arm. 5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a base member adapted to beassociated with an operating mechanism, a pair of elements rotatably mounted on said member, a roller mountedecoentrically on the upper face of each said element and arranged to co-operate with the other roller to support and guide a so sheet or plate between them in a plane above said elements, means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement about their axes, an arm iixed to each of said elements, a so spring between said arms normally tending to swing them in opposite directions, and a stop for one of said arms.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a base member adapted to be asas sociated with an operating mechanism, aof elements rotatably mounted on' said member,

at their outer ends with depending members.

formed with openings, a rod arranged below said base member and extending through said openlugs and provided at its outer ends with devices for limiting the outward movement of said arms,

and a spring between said members normally tending to swing said arms outwardly.

'1. In apparatus or the class described, the combinationof a base member adapted to be associated with an operating mechanism, a support mounted on said member for adjustment transversely thereof, a pair of elements. movably mounted on said support, a roller mounted eccentrically on the upper face oi. each said element and arranged to co-operate with the other roller to support and guide a sheet or plate between them in a plane above said elements,

- means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement toward or from each other, and means normally acting on one of said elements to effect movement of said rollers toward each other.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a base member adapted to be associated with an operating mechanism, a support mounted on said member for adjustment transversely thereof, a pair of elements movably mounted on said support, a roller mounted eccentrically on the upper face ofeach said element and arranged to co-opesate with the other roller to support andguide a sheet or plate between them in a plane above said elements, means between said elements in a plane below said rollers for connecting said elements together for simultaneous movement towardor from each other, means normally acting on one of said elements to effect movement of said rollers toward each other, and a stop arranged to limit the inward movement of said rollers.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support, a pair of disks rotatably mounted on said support and provided on their peripheries with gear teeth, the teeth on one disk being in mesh with the teeth on the other disk, a guide device on the upper face of each disk in eccentric relation to the axis thereof, said devices being arranged to engage and guide a sheet metal section between them, spring operated means connected to one disk and normally tending to rotate said disks in a direction toswing said devices toward each other, and a stop for limiting the movement of said disks under the influence of said means.

cam. M. room. 

